


Yavin IV: The End Game

by Ariella1941



Series: In The Shadow of Empires [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, POV First Person, Plot, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-13 01:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7956547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariella1941/pseuds/Ariella1941
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theron and Aryelle race against time as the threat of annihilation looms over Yavin IV and the galaxy.</p><p>Shadow of Revan Era</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Procedural Differences

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SageFic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SageFic/gifts).



> Right now I'm tagging this mature because I don't think the eventual smutty ending will be descriptive enough to get an E rating. That might change depending on how the muses decide to act.

_Aryelle Thrace_

I wasn’t sure what to feel about Yavin IV. The planet itself hung in the sky, huge and red, casting strange shadows as the moon moved through its orbit. The lush jungle had a certain beauty, as did the ruins we could see from the overlook where the coalition had set camp. But the moon was also soaked in the Dark Side of the Force. A small atavistic part of me wanted to run as far and as fast as I could.

We’d set up the command post in another smaller set of ruins, and as Kira and I walked to the conference table, I heard Jakarro give his scouting report… Or maybe I should say Jakarro complained, while Dee Four gave an actual, usable report:

“My master wishes to report the surrounding terrain is quite rugged, and we can confirm that the Revanites are based in the temple ruins nearby. We found no usable supplies or shelter.”

Lana looked at me and said, “All our other scouts report much the same. There’s been some contact with Revanite patrols, but we’ve faced no heavy resistance as yet.”

I nodded, “And Revan was right. The Emperor _is_ here; I’d recognize his presence anywhere.”

“Which just makes a bad situation worse,” Kira added, “because he isn’t alone.”

“The Emperor isn’t the only Sith to leave his mark on this place,” Master Satele told us.

“Mark or not, we need better eyes on this place _now_ ,” Theron cut in, “especially since scouts can only patrol so far in brush this dense.”

“There’s more than just physical obstacles in play,” Marr said in that eerie too calm voice. “I can sense their fear and mistrust. This moon is already mired in ancient darkness, and we have brought more than our share already.”

I _felt_ Theron’s exasperation at Marr’s comments. Hell, could almost hear his thoughts.

 _I know listening to Jedi wax mystic annoys him, but hearing it from a_ Sith?

“Was there a suggestion in all that?” he asked Marr as he tried to hide his growing irritation with all things Force related.

I tried not to think about what that might mean for whatever Theron and I were becoming.

“The troops are too distracted by each other to keep a proper lookout for the Revanites,” Master Satele translated. “They expect to be stabbed in the back.”

“Then we set an extended perimeter past the outer guard,” Theron replied, not bothering to hide his irritation now, “and we make it impartial. Sensor equipment doesn’t pick sides.”

“We can handle that,” I said gesturing to Kira.

“Good,” replied Lana, “once we’re secure, we can focus on Revan.”

“Then I better get going, because the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can focus on the _real_ enemy,” I said, letting my gaze sweep the conference table. Maybe it was arrogant of me to think I could impress the importance of not being at each other’s throats on people who should know better, but then again, I was the only one who ever took on Vitiate and defeated him. While I usually didn’t like trading on my ‘heroic’ reputation, right now I needed to use whatever tool was at hand. 

Theron looked at me and nodded. I could still sense his irritation, but he’d recognized what I was doing and it helped him step back from it.

“We’ll keep in touch while you’re getting those sensors up,” he said to me. “Good luck.”

* * *

 

The brush was just as bad as the scouts had reported, though having lightsabers to cut a path helped. However, the wild life wasn’t exactly friendly either, but Kira and I got the job done.

We’d just finished calibrating the sensor hub when Theron came over the com.

“We’re reading you five by five,” he said, and then pause a moment. “But there’s one more modification we might want to make.”

“What kind of modification?”

“Just a little thing,” he told me innocently. “We can set the sensors to forward us extra data on the Imperials, and they’d never know the difference.”

Kira looked at me and said, “I like it, and it makes perfect sense.”

“No.”

“No?” Theron asked me sarcastically as Kira gave me a look that said ‘what the hell?’

“No, we are not going to make any modifications.”

“I’d think that recent events have taught us to keep one eye over our shoulder.”

I shook my head, “Theron, do you really believe that in this environment, with everyone so paranoid, no one is going to be looking even for a hint of treachery?”

“This isn’t treachery, Aryelle, its pragmatism.”

“Come on, Master. He’s got a good point,” Kira added, “The Sith are going to try and stab us in the back as soon as it’s convenient. Theron’s little modification would give us a fighting chance.”

“The answer is still no,” I said, putting finality in my voice.

“Well, I obviously can’t _make_ you do the smart thing,” he said, irritation back in his voice. “Head back to base camp.” With that he cut the circuit before I could make any reply.

I sighed, especially since something beyond just common sense was telling me that Theron’s plan was a bad idea.

_Your arrival has been foretold, old friend…_

I blinked and looked at Kira, who seemed as irritated at me as Theron was.

“You didn’t hear that?” I asked her.

“All I heard was you fighting with Super Spy.”

“It was a disagreement, not a fight,” I said primly, refusing to believe that however irritated Theron was, he’d hold it against me in the end. “and no, I heard something else… Another voice.”

“I think we need to get you back to camp,” Kira said, sounding worried now.

“Fine, let’s go,” I said quietly, still listening for that other voice, but it had gone silent.

* * *

 

_Theron Shan_

It was like Rakata Prime all over again, and maybe I should have known better. No… there was no ‘maybe’ about it. Aryelle’s one of the most pragmatic Jedi I’ve ever known. She doesn’t lecture on the evils of the Dark Side, or serve out the usual platitudes I’ve gotten used to from the Order. But she still has lines she won’t cross.

What’s worse is she had a point. A good one.

Both sides were waiting for a slip they could capitalize on. Whether it’s this place, or the fact the Republic and the Empire have been at each other’s throats for decades, or both…

She had a point, and I was going to be an adult and apologize. I cared for her too damned much to do otherwise.

Speaking of Jedi platitudes…

“You sense it too?” Satele asked Marr as we waited for Aryelle and Kira to get back. “Not the ancient Sith, or the Emperor… Not Revan. It’s another presence, different from the rest.”

Marr nodded, “Yes. It is more like you.”

_So, another potential player? Great. Just what we need._

“I think you’re right,” Aryelle said as walked up, again with Kira in tow. “I can feel it too, and I… heard something while I was planting the sensors.”

“I doubt it could communicate anything,” Marr said, “It is most likely a vestige.”

“You give us too little credit, Marr,” Satele countered.

I looked at Aryelle and rolled my eyes. She kept her face serene as ever, but I’d gotten to know her well enough to see the laughter in her eyes. I decided to take that as a good sign, though I was still going to apologize later.

“Sensors are picking up something a bit more solid. Large structures. Mix of ancient and modern materials, but it looks like they’ve been ransacked. A lot of debris.”

Marr turned to look my way. Even with the mask I could feel him glaring at me. The guy redefines intense.

“Check for broadcasts in signal range forty-seven point two.”

I tapped a couple commands into my datapad and something came up almost immediately.

“What am I looking at?” I asked him, “it’s encoded”

“The facts behind a rumor,” he snarled. And yeah, he actually snarled. “That signal range is used only by the Imperial Guard. These structures? They must be the Guard’s training facility. Since this is an Imperial matter, I will assemble a team of my own to investigate.” He turned to look toward Lana, who’d been working at one of the consoles we’d set up here. “Beniko, with me.”

Lana nodded, and without a word, followed Marr and the jackboot brigade out of the command post.

“We can’t just sit back and watch. Who knows what they’ll pull out of that facility, and we can’t afford to just take their word for it,” I said, my irritation with Aryelle back in full force.

Surprisingly she nodded, “Agreed, but we need to move fast.”

It almost sounded like she’d been expecting this. Why she didn’t tell me, I don’t know, except that she may have realized I wasn’t in the mood to hear her out.

“We’ll do what we can to distract the Imperials,” Satele said, “and hope this doesn’t spark an incident.”

“We’re going to need them when we make the final push,” Aryelle replied, “just be careful.”

“We will,” I told her, and then stopped and said something I usually didn’t say:

“May the Force be with you, Aryelle.”

“With all of us, Theron. With all of us.”


	2. Locks and Keys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan has discovered a weapon that will render the moon of Yavin lifeless and fuel the resurrection of the Emperor unless Theron and Aryelle stop him. But first, they must find a way to enter the ancient Temple where the weapon is housed.

_Theron Shan_

The ‘Commandant’ of the Imperial Guard Academy was pretty pathetic. He was also completely nuts. But that little fact was less important at the moment than the fact that Marr seemed ready to go to war.

“This was an Imperial matter!” He told Satele, “Your Jedi had no place in it!”

“We’re supposed to be working together,” Satele replied, as calm as ever. “If our situations were reversed, wouldn’t you have done the same?”

“You don’t _trust_ us.”

“And if you trusted us, my presence wouldn’t have been a problem,” Aryelle said, looking directly at Marr.

“This is a dangerous game you play, Jedi.”

“Yes, it is,” she replied, “but with these stakes, I’m not walking away, Lord Marr.”

Aryelle’s voice was polite, but everyone at the table heard the durasteel underneath, and I fought not to smile.

_That’s my girl!_

At that point the Guard’s “Commandant Iven” started to ramble, and Marr seemed to decide that the nut job was the best person to vent on. I swear, the guy should have lost teeth from the backhand the Sith gave him.

“I will wrench the information we need from this… man,” Marr said. “The rest can be settled later.”

“I believe it might be a better idea to let the Grand Master interrogate him, considering violence seems to have put him in his current state,” Aryelle replied.

“Do. Not. Push. Me. Further.”

Marr should have known better than to try and intimidate the woman who had faced down the Emperor.

“Again, it is not my intention to push, but we need this information and this man is our only source,” she told the Sith quietly. “You’re welcome to observe. No secrets.”

“Let’s get this over with.”

“Bring him to my tent, and we’ll proceed,” Satele said, and the guards picked Iven and dragged him away as he continued to rant. Marr and his people followed, and I trailed along behind.

I never liked getting my information second hand.

* * *

 

“It’s more like therapy than an interrogation,” I told Aryelle a few hours later, “but I think we’re close to a breakthrough.”

“Well, I did think gentler would work better,” she replied with a wry smile, and I realized I liked seeing her smile like that. But there were other things we needed to talk about at the moment.

“You know, we cut things pretty close, right?” I asked her. “Doesn’t take a Jedi to see how angry Marr was. “

“I know, but I’d do it again, if I needed to. Marr saw Iven as a nail, and he was ready to grab for the biggest hammer he could find. It would have destroyed him and the information he’s carrying,” she told me, “Plus Marr respects strength, and now he knows he can’t intimidate me, so he won’t try in the future, and he may just listen when I say something.”

“Point,” I said, and as her smile faded I realized how tired she seemed. “What about you? You’ve been running non-stop since we hit the ground here. You holding up okay?”

“Been better. Been worse. I can deal with this, though I’m getting odd looks from some of the Imperials around here.”

“What kind of looks?”

“Like they don’t know what to make of me,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Word’s gotten around about your staring contest with Marr, I’d bet.”

Something bitter crept into her voice, “They probably think it was very Sith of me.”

I shook my head, wondering where this was coming from. “Most of them have probably never been this close to a Jedi who they weren’t trying to kill. Or wasn’t trying to kill them. All they know about the Order is what they’ve been told.”

“So it’s a compliment?”

I shook my head, “No, but you said it yourself, Marr respects strength. So do the Imps, for the most part, and you stood up to a Dark Council member and made him do things _your way_. Without threats and without violence.”

Aryelle looked at her feet, then sighed. “Maybe I’m more worn than I thought.”

I wasn’t sure what to do. What I _wanted_ was get her away from here, somewhere safe, and be whatever she needed me to be. But I couldn’t. _We_ couldn’t, and I found myself resenting that fact. I couldn’t do a damned thing to protect her from whatever it was that was haunting her.

All I could do was take her hand.

“Whatever’s going on. Whatever happens. You’re not alone, Aryelle.” I told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She looked at me, her eyes darkening, and on instinct I leaned in closer.

“Theron…”

“The guard broke!” Jakarro howled, snapping us back to the present. I let go of her hand and we turned to see Lana and Jakarro walking toward us. “He’s telling them _everything_!” the Wookie continued.

“I must say,” Dee Four added, “Master Satele is a pleasant interrogator, Theron should be quite proud.”

I rolled my eyes at that one, but somehow kept my mouth shut. Maybe because I could see Aryelle trying to hide another smile.

“Let’s find out what we’re up against,” she said and we headed back to the conference table.

* * *

 

“A device for mass ritual sacrifice? That’s seriously what he called it?” I asked after Satele briefed us on her findings.

“Capable of destroying all life on this moon in order to fuel the Emperor’s resurrection,” Marr so helpfully clarified.

“And housed within the very Temple the Revanites now occupy,” Lana added, “and unfortunately it won’t be as simple as breaching the Temple and shutting down the machine.”

“Agreed,” Satele said and then she looked at Aryelle, “There is an exterior locking mechanism that will allow entry, provided we can find them.”

That was my cue:

“On it,” I said as I slipped away from the table, heading for the bank of computer terminals.

As I worked, I half listened to the conversation, which was mostly the usual bluster from Jakarro. Something about this being a hell of an adventure.

Ignoring the Death Marks, bounties, disavowals, betrayals, and torture… Yeah, it’s been a real blast.

“You might not be so grateful if we don’t get that weapon shut down,” Aryelle responded.

“I have never seen you fail before, Aryelle,” the Wookie growled, “and you will not start now.”

 _Damn straight,_ I thought.

“Gotcha,” I muttered then turned to look over my shoulder. “Sending the coordinates to your datapad now.”

“Then I better get going,” Aryelle replied. I turned back to the computer and hesitated a second. I couldn’t just send her out like this. So I sent a second message to her datapad:

_Need to see you privately before you leave. Meet me by the speeders._

* * *

 

“Theron? You said you needed to talk?”

I’d been pacing, trying to think of what to say when Aryelle walked over. I stopped at looked at her.

“Yeah, you’ve been doing almost all the heavy lifting on this op, and I just wanted to make sure…”

“That I wasn’t about to crack?” she asked.

I gave her a dark look and she shrugged.

“Sorry, Theron, but I’ll be fine,” she stopped for a moment then said, “I need you to do something for me.”

“Name it.”

“If I can’t get this done; if things go poorly…”

“No.”

“Theron, please!”

“No,” I told her, “I’m not leaving this damn moon without you, and you _will_ get this done.”

“Is that an order?”

I gave her a half smile, “Would you listen if it were?” She glared and me and I felt the smile become a grin. “That’s what I figured, so take it as a strongly worded suggestion.”

Aryelle shook her head and smiled back at me, but before she could say anything else I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her gently.

 “You’ll get this done,” I whispered to her as we broke for air.

“Well, if you’re going to be insistent about it,” she deadpanned, or tried to at any rate.

“I’ll be even more insistent once you get back, Aryelle. Promise.”

She stepped back and looked at me for a moment. I don’t know what she was looking for, but the warmth in her eyes, the small smile on her lips, told me she’d found it.

“I’ll hold you to that, Theron,” she said quietly, then turned and walked away. And as I watched her go, I thought to myself:

_I know, Ary. I know._

* * *

 

_Aryelle Thrace_

I felt the crystalline surface grow warm beneath my hand as the last of the Temple locking mechanisms disengaged.

“Oh goody, we can go back to camp now,” Kira said, looking as exhausted as I felt.

“Let me contact Master Satele and get someone out here to hold the mechanism,” I replied as I reached for my holocommunicator.

_A moment, my friend._

I _knew_ that voice, and out of the shadows stepped the same man I’d freed at Maelstrom Prison. Or I should say his spirit stepped from the shadows.

“Revan?”

I felt Kira stiffen beside me. She hadn’t been with me at the prison, but she knew the story.

_It is good to see you again, Aryelle, though I wish it were under better circumstances._

“And you, Revan. But if you’re here then who’s wearing your mask?”

Revan shook his head, _I don’t know, though I recognize a great deal of myself within him. The darkness I left behind when I died. All I know is, he needs to be stopped. This plan of his_ will _fail and his anger will only strengthen Vitiate._

“Why come to me though? Master Satele’s here. You know she’d have listened.”

_My attachments have always driven me too far, so I chose to remain apart from both Satele and Theron for my sake… and theirs._

As he spoke I felt as I’d been flicked with a whip. Attachments had been his weakness.

Revan smiled at me, as if he knew what I was thinking, and maybe he did.

_My path is not yours, Aryelle, and your gifts… You will understand in time, but for now you must finish what I could not. May the Force be with you, my friend._

“Why can’t all Force spirits be like Master Orgus, and get to the point?” Kira asked me as I turned back to her.

“So you saw him too. I wasn’t sure.”

“Saw, heard, and didn’t understand any of it, but we better call in.”

“Agreed.” I said as I activated the com. The small projector floated in midair as the images of Theron and Master Satele materialized.

“Nice work,” Theron said with a slight smile. “Readings are green across the board: Temple’s open.”

“We’ve already sent a squad to hold your current position, Aryelle. Well done.” Master Satele added.

“That’s good news, but I also have _bad_ news: I just spoke to Revan.”

“Revan was _there_?” I watched Theron’s eyes flash with anger, visible even through the blue haze of the hologram.

“His spirit was,” I told them, “And unlike our masked friend, this Revan recognized me, but he doesn’t know who’s leading the cult.”

“He did confirm that this whole ritual is a bad idea,” Kira added, “and that whoever’s running the Revanites is just going to end up making the Emperor stronger, not destroy him.”

“Okay let’s go back to the fact that the man who tortured me is an imposter?” Theron asked angrily. “How could he know so much?”

“I don’t know.” I told him, “but I’m not ruling anything out. The man has access, so it may just be a case of having the research, or maybe it’s a clone or they used the Rakata tech to resurrect him.”

“Master, you’re making my head hurt,” Kira said, “and it doesn’t matter anyway. What matters is he’s still trying to go through with his plan.”

“Kira is right,” Master Satele said, “come back to base, and we’ll plan our next move.” She stopped for a minute and murmured “Revan’s spirit” before she disconnected.

The squad arrived a few minutes later, and as we left I couldn’t help but feel like I was stuck in the bottom of an hour glass. And time was running out.

* * *

 

_Theron Shan_

“I’m not sure we have the time to prep for a large scale assault,” I said as Aryelle and Kira arrived, “We’ve been able to hold the locking mechanisms so far, but between the Massassi and the Revanites we’re taking a beating.”

“Large scale assault?” Aryelle asked as she moved to her position at the table opposite of me.

“We’re discussing what options we have to remove the Emperor’s device from play,” Lana said, “Our choices are a large scale assault against the Revanites’ position or a smaller team infiltrating the Temple.”

“We have little information about the security within the Temple,” Satele added, “so anyone we sent in would be going in blind.”

“But a large scale assault would take coordination, and more importantly, trust, and we don’t really have either,” I pointed out.

Lana looked at Aryelle for a moment then said in a surprisingly formal voice, “Aryelle, you have been the driving force behind our actions since Rakata Prime. You’ve been out among the troops, working with them in ways the rest of us have not. Because of this, I believe you are the only one of us capable of making this decision.”

I bit my tongue hard, trying not to yell at her, but she was right, dammit. Aryelle was the only one who could. I’d practically said it myself. The Imperials knew what she’d done with Marr, the kind of strength that took, but at the same time, she’d been respectful to all of them; common trooper to Sith Lord.  And to the Republic she’d always be the Hero of Tython, the woman who faced down the Emperor.

Still, I knew something was wrong, something beyond her being worn out.

Aryelle looked at Satele, then at Marr, and said, “as much as I hate saying this, I think we need to go with the full scale assault. We get one shot, but as much as we need to shut down that weapon, we can’t allow Revan to leave this moon alive, because if we do, he’ll just start over.”

Marr seemed to agree. “His obsession will destroy us if we do not destroy him first.”

The Sith actually sounded pleased, and it took me a moment to realize why.

It was pretty simple actually: Aryelle Thrace intended to _kill_ Revan. No second chances, no talk of redemption. To Marr she must have sounded more like him than a Jedi Master. I watched Satele out of the corner of my eye, and wondered what she was thinking.

“We have enough people and supplies to ensure we can hold the locks for a planetary week,” Satele said.

“Then we start gaming out scenarios for an attack tonight, and be ready to move in two days,” Aryelle told her. It reminded me of what she’d done when the Imperials hit Tython. She didn’t ask for command or demand it from anyone. She just took it as if that had always been part of the plan.

Revan had no clue what was about to hit him, and I was looking forward to it.


	3. Worn Thin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theron learns some disturbing things, and Aryelle can't sleep the night before the battle with Revan.

_Theron Shan_

Over the next few days Aryelle seemed everywhere at once, clearing wild life, rescuing Republic scouts from the Massassi, taking out Revanite commanders. And she did it working with both Imperial and Republic squads. I kept an eye on her while I doing my own work and I felt a weird sense of pride in seeing it. Then I saw the worry on Satele’s face.

I don’t claim any special insight to the Grand Master. That she just happens to be my mother is biology, so between that and the typical Jedi calm, she’s usually hard to read. Not this time, though. Almost anyone could see the tightness around her eyes when she looked at Aryelle, and I needed to know what it was.

* * *

 

“What is it?” I asked Satele when I found her watching Aryelle discuss relics she’d retrieved with an Imperial Reclamation Service officer.

Satele was silent for a moment the said, “I have… concerns.”

I sighed. It was going to be one of _those_ conversations and I wasn’t in the mood. “Look, if there’s something wrong, especially something that might jeopardize the operation, I’d kinda like to know now rather than when it’s too late.”

She finally looked at me, and the tightness had gotten worse. “Aryelle Thrace is a nexus. A fulcrum on which the galaxy turns, much like Revan. Much like Vitiate.”

“We had this conversation once, Satele,” I told her, “but this isn’t Jace and she’s not going to fall to the Dark side.”

She shook her head, “That is not what I fear, Theron.” She looked uncertain before she continued, “what I fear is the ability the Force has given her, and what it may cost.”

“And that ability is?”

Satele took a breath and replied, “She can… form bonds though the Force with anyone. It’s an unconscious ability, and the vast majority are only a touch, but they _are_ there. And only one other Jedi in recorded history had a similar ability: Meetra Surik.”

That was a name I knew, considering she was connected to Revan. But I didn’t see where the problem was.

“It gives her something akin to Battle Meditation, where she can inspire anyone with whom she has bonded with. Between that, her natural charisma, and leadership skills, she is the perfect person to command the vanguard. But the bond goes both ways. Each death is a wound. A small cut, and I worry about what she might lose.”

I suddenly felt a little sick, but at the same time I understood Aryelle’s recent bitterness.

“Does she know?”

Satele shook her head again, “No. Master Orgus and I chose to keep it from her, as Aryelle has always been… wary of power. She doesn’t fear it, but she feels the burdens more keenly than most.”

There is was, and I felt stupid for not seeing it. Hell, she’d said as much when we first met:

_Sometimes I wish the Republic didn’t hold me in such high esteem._

I thought it was just a part of her sense of humor, but now, knowing her better, I started to understand.

Satele watched my face the sighed, “You see it now too, and that is why we kept it from her.  There are times when I wonder if we should have kept the rest as well.”

“Wait. You told her about all this destiny business?” I asked, stunned. The idea seemed damned counterintuitive to me, and damned dangerous.

“I did, and I believed it was the correct thing to do at the time. Aryelle needed to know at least some of what the Force had in store for her. That her choices held more weight than most.”

“And now?”

“Now I worry we’ve asked too much,” the Grand Master told me, “that the Order has come to lean on her too much. That _I_ have come to lean on her too much, but there are so few of us, and we lose more each year. Especially in this war.”

I couldn’t argue with her about that, but I knew there was something else. It was like a sound just outside of hearing. It’d been there, on and off, for months, and I’d ignored it, but now…

“There’s a bond,” I said to Satele, not bothering with context.

“A strong one, and yes, there is no way she could not know it existed.”

A part of me wanted to feel betrayed, but I couldn’t. If Satele was right, she couldn’t control it, and Aryelle didn’t talk about the mystical aspects of the Force often anyway. I suspected she did it partially out of concern for my feelings, and partially because that wasn’t her. She seemed more interested in practical application, which suited me just fine.

That almost-sense made me look across the camp to where Aryelle was standing. She’d walked away from the Imperial lieutenant, but she stopped and looked at me. I didn’t need a Force bond to see the concern on her face and in her body language. I smiled at her and shook my head. She cared about me, and I cared about her. That’s what mattered.

I must have reassured her, because she smiled back. She then gave a half bow acknowledging Satele and walked off.  

I waited a moment, then asked Satele, “Is this where I get the lecture about attachments?”

“It would be somewhat hypocritical of me to do so, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s an understatement,” I said. “I’ve got work to do. Nice chatting with you, Master Satele.”

I walked off, thinking maybe I shouldn’t have been so abrupt, but honestly I didn’t care that much. I just knew whatever she might have said to me after that would have made things worse. And I didn’t need to get into it publicly with Satele if she was feeling maternal for some reason.

* * *

 

“Hey, Theron!”

_Now what?_

We’d just finished the last of the assault prep for tomorrow. I’d be stuck here, running the backend for most of it, but that was fine. My skillset isn’t exactly the most useful on a battlefield, so I’d be managing the op from the command post. That didn’t mean I wasn’t exhausted by the end of the planning session. I wanted to go back to my cot and crash before the big event, not have whatever chat Kira had in mind.

I stopped in place, not bothering to turn around. “What is it, Kira?”

She walked up beside me and gave me a dirty look, then said, “I need your help getting Aryelle back up to _Shrike_.”

I turned to look at her. “Why won’t she go back upstairs?”

“Because she’s wearing herself out about what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Kira said sounding more annoyed than usual. “She’s at the edge of the overlook, brooding.”

“And what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Talk to her,” she said, “you do know how, right?”

I really wasn’t in the mood for Kira’s attitude so I snapped back. “No, I completely _forgot_ how to speak Basic.”

We stood there glaring at each other, and I knew I was being childish, but I was too tired to care.

“Look, I’m sorry, Theron,” Kira said finally, “it’s just…she’s hurting, and I can’t seem to get through to her.”

I had an idea of how much it cost her to say that, and I nodded my own apology. “Okay, start at the beginning.”

Kira sighed, “What’s there to start? You know Aryelle feels like she has to save the whole galaxy by herself, right? Well, knowing she can’t is killing her at the moment.”

_You’re an idiot for not seeing this coming, Theron._

Especially after the chat I had with the Grand Master that afternoon, I should have known Aryelle wouldn’t be taking this well.

“I’ll talk to her, Kira. I can’t promise anything, but I will talk to her.”

“Thanks, Theron,” she said then added, “I don’t know exactly what’s going on between the two of you, but for what it’s worth, I’ve got your back.”

That took me by surprise. I’d never been sure about how much Kira knew, or how she felt, about what was going on between Aryelle and me. Then again, Kira wasn’t exactly a conventional Jedi, any more than Aryelle was.

“Thanks, Kira.” I replied, and went off to find Aryelle before she wore herself thin.

* * *

 

“It’s a lovely view,” Aryelle said as I walked up beside her, and I guess it was in a weird sort of way. Personally, I found the temple, and the way Yavin was looming in the background pretty creepy, but that’s just me.

“It’s nice,” I replied, sounding noncommittal.

She made a face at me. “It’s not like I’m considering retiring here, Theron, and let me guess: Kira told you I was here rather than aboard _Shrike_ , in my quarters, where I’m supposed to be.”

“You got it,” I told her, “so why _aren’t_ you aboard _Shrike_?”

I watched her eyes narrow, then she said, “I’m tempted to say something completely inappropriate.”

“Now this ought to be interesting,” I replied, leaning against a ruined wall, arms crossed.

She muttered something under her breath and turned bright pink. “You’re laughing at me.”

Okay, I was, but considering what Kira had said, I figured having Aryelle annoyed at me was a lot better than having her worrying herself half to death. “Would I do that, Master Jedi?”

“You are a terrible person, Theron Shan, and I have no idea why I like you so much.”

“Want a reminder?” I asked as innocently as I could, then watched as she turned an even darker shade of pink. But before I could say anything else Aryelle strode over and pulled me into a rib cracking hug. I moved on instinct, hugging her back as her cheek pressed against mine.

“You’re a terrible person,” she whispered as she eased up a little on the embrace.

“You already said that,” I whispered back, and then waited a moment before adding, “you ready to talk about it, Aryelle?”

“It hurts, Theron,” she said. “People are going to die tomorrow based on a battle plan I came up with, and I can’t do anything about it.”

I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. I remembered watching the KIA numbers from Tython and how helpless _I_ felt. I tried to imagine that from Aryelle’s perspective and failed. Miserably.

“You’ve given us a fighting chance,” I said finally, “and you know if we don’t do anything we’re all dead, and the galaxy with us.”

“It doesn’t make it easier,” she replied, resting her head on my shoulder.

“I doubt anything can,” I told her and the eased back on the embrace so I could look in her eyes. “But you’re not alone, remember?”

“Hold me for a while?” she asked after a second.

“For as long as you need, Aryelle.”

_For as long as you need._


	4. The End Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final confrontation with Revan, and Theron and Aryelle take a few more steps forward.
> 
> Shadow of Revan Era

_Aryelle Thrace_

I finally got some sleep. Alone, unfortunately. On the shuttle up to _Shrike,_ I found myself wondering what it would be like to just fall asleep cuddled up with someone else. But I did sleep.

That didn’t change the fact I felt anxious as I studied the tactical holo. There were small circles representing infantry squads, squares standing for aerial units, triangles for the battle droids, and five pointed stars for Jedi and Sith. Each symbol went from red to green indicating readiness as I repeated the Code in the silence of my mind.

_There is no emotion, there is peace_

_There is no ignorance there is knowledge_

_There is no passion, there is serenity_

_There is no chaos, there is harmony_

_There is no death, there is only the Force_

The words were a comfort, but not as much as they would have been when I was a Padawan just arrived on Tython. I felt Theron watching me, and when I looked across the conference table, he gave me a small smile, more sensed than seen. Funny how that steadied me where the Code couldn’t.

“You’ve done well, Master Aryelle,” Grand Master Satele said.

“Save any congratulations until we are victorious,” Marr told her, and then he turned to me, “let us proceed.”

I activated the com unit on the table, and spoke: “This is Aryelle Thrace to all units: begin the attack, I say again, begin the attack.”

Those words set the symbols into motion. They shifted in color as the battle progressed. Yellow for units down to two thirds strength, orange for half strength units, and black for those who had been destroyed. Opposing units, such as we could identify them, were represented in blue, and they also went black as the coalition advanced.

“Units have entered the Temple,” Theron reported as he listened to the chatter on his own com.

“Tell units two, nineteen, and six to shore up the left flank, and make sure they have air support,” I said, and as Theron relayed the order to the ground troops, Lana sent the command to the fighter squads.

The hologram continued to shift like a dejarik game as it moved into the end phase, then Theron said:

“The weapon has been destroyed and all Revanites neutralized. Just one thing left to do.”

“Ivan told us where Revan might go: The Emperor’s final sanctuary,” Master Satele added.

“We have speeders prepped. You won’t be facing him alone.” Theron said.

Lana nodded in agreement, “No, you won’t, Master Thrace.”

Funny how comforting that was.

* * *

 

The Forgotten Terrace was ominous, to say the least. A storm had rolled in during the flight, and it added to the oppressive atmosphere.

“We broke free of the Emperor, assaulted him twice and lived to tell the tale,” Kira said to nobody in particular as we went down the passenger ramp. “Compared to that, this is going to be a piece of cake.”

“Who are you trying to convince?” I asked, “Me or you?”

“Both?”

T7 let out a warble, alerting us to the life form in the center of the circle of standing stones. We’d all knew he’d be there, but the confirmation was nice.

As I walked into the circle my nerves began to hum as training and instinct came into play. There was no anger, no hatred as I looked at Revan, just simple truth: he was a man. Powerful, yes, but still a man. One that needed to be destroyed for the galaxy to live.

“Your entire army was barely enough to drive me back,” Revan said to me. “Do you really think you can face me without them?”

“I struck Vitiate down with only T7 at my side, Revan,” I replied gesturing to my oldest companion, “and despite your posturing, you’re not the Sith Emperor. You’re not even in the same class.” I smiled slightly, “but this time I figured I’d bring a few more friends.”

Even as I spoke, several fighters streaked across the sky, and with them, a smaller speeder which landed right outside the circle. In moments, Theron stood at my right, and Lana at my left. Kira, T7, Jakarro and D4 had my back with Master Satele coming to stand beside Theron, as Darth Marr moved to Lana’s side.

“Nice of you to drop by,” I deadpanned to Theron who smiled.

“We wanted to make an entrance.”

Even as he said those words we heard the hiss of a rocket pack, and a figure in familiar Mandalorian armor landed near Marr.

“Shae Vizla?” D4 said in surprise, and honestly he wasn’t the only one. The Mandalorian warrior had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Revan’s war, on either side.

“Wouldn’t miss a fight this good,” she said with a laugh.

“It seems none of you understand that I am doing what must be done.”

Maybe it was the posturing, or the savior complex, or maybe I was just tired of hearing his voice.

“Shut up, Revan,” I said as I launched myself at him, lightsabers hissing to life.

This time there would be no surrender, no retreat… for either of us.

* * *

 

_Theron Shan_

Revan collapsed, and I was more than ready to pull the trigger one last time when the ground began to shake.

The Sith Emperor was awake… and laughing.

“This is impossible!” Revan said, “the ritual hasn’t even begun!”

_“You were always a fool, Revan. All you ever needed to do was bring the Empire and Republic together, and they would do what comes naturally: Make war. And I claimed every death, just as I will reclaim this galaxy.”_

The Temple began to glow with a sick purple light which shot up into the sky, vaporizing the storm clouds. Then the Emperor was gone.

_This is not going to go over well in the debrief._

“Maybe now you’ll listen,” someone said as a ghost appeared behind Revan.

I started to feel a headache coming on as I realize it was, well, Revan. The Revan Aryelle must have talked to.

 _This is_ really _not going to go over well._

I didn’t bother trying to follow what came next. Master Zho didn’t exactly prepare me for this, and even Aryelle and Satele seemed a little out of their depth. My crazy ancestor; the wild card. But I did get the gist. One light, one dark and neither one was really Revan. 

It took a quick self-help session to get the real Revan back.

“There is much to be done,” he told us (not that we couldn’t figure that out for ourselves). He looked at Aryelle and added, “I’m sorry that I’ve placed this burden on you, Aryelle, but you must do what I never could: Stop him.”

Then he was gone, leaving a body and us holding the bag.

“Well, he was right about one thing,” I said, sounding more tired than I realized, “we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

* * *

 

“Want to talk?” I asked Aryelle quietly on the way back.

She gave me a tired, heartbreaking smile. “Seems it’s my destiny to kill the Emperor again,” she replied, “of course not having a body is going to make it a _bit_ harder.”

“Yeah, this kind of thing is not exactly my department, but I’m with you to the end.”

I watched her face, and that same strange glow I’d seen when we first met flickered in her eyes.

“I’ve been keeping something from you, Theron,” she said, looking uncomfortable and _young_. “Something happened when we first met. I’ve felt something like it before, but I’m not sure how to explain it except it felt like the universe blinked.”

Almost any other Jedi would have found a way to make that sound pretentious. Aryelle just sounded frustrated.

“Blinked?”

“Like something had happened that was completely unexpected, that was going to change everything,” she told me in a rush, “the last time I felt it was when I faced the Emperor, but this time it was different. It wasn’t about what I had done or was going to do, but what _we_ were going to do together.”

“Well, you weren’t wrong,” I replied, unsure what to feel considering what I knew.

“I guess I wasn’t, but I know we aren’t finished yet. Something else is coming.”

“You mean beyond a crazy Sith Emperor?”

“I know how it sounds, but yeah, even beyond that or…” she took a deep breath then said, “I’m not sure the Force would have bound us together so strongly.”

I could see how worried she was, and I knew I wasn’t talking to a Jedi at the moment. I was talking to a woman who was anxious she’d said something that’d hurt me.

_Do I really come off that bitter?_

Of course, ironically, Aryelle had a bit more insight than most people about how I felt.

“Satele mentioned something about it yesterday when we were talking,” I said as casually as I could, trying to put her at ease. “And it doesn’t matter to me. Whatever’s happening between us has nothing to do with the Force.”

“And the whole ‘destiny’?” she asked me.

“Done that a couple times now, but the only destiny that matters to me is being with you, whatever happens.”

She laid her head on my shoulder, cuddling against me and said, “I agree.”

I kissed the crown of her head as I felt the shuttle descending, and I knew whatever else happened, whatever we’d become to one another, we’d face this insanity together.

That was more than enough


	5. Good At Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aryelle and Theron prepare to face the threat of the Emperor together, and take a big step in trying to define their relationship

_Theron Shan_

I didn’t as much sleep as go comatose when we got back to camp. The only good thing that happened today, at least personally, was the fact that Ary and I made some headway in defining what we meant to each other.

Still, I woke up in a tangle of sheets, feeling even more tired than I’d been the night before. But I managed to get cleaned up, dressed, and out to the command post in a reasonable amount of time, despite the aches and pains from the beating I’d taken last night. Satele was on the holo with the Supreme Chancellor when I arrived. And Saresh wasn’t happy. I slipped in behind the Grand Master to watch the show.

“Your actions are confusing to say the least, Grand Master Satele,” Saresh said, “I don’t appreciate being left in the dark.”

“Does the Supreme Commander share your concerns, Chancellor?” Satele asked in response, picture of a Jedi Master.

_Ouch. Nice one._

“He does not. But that’s hardly…”

“The two of us have been fighting this war since the beginning. We know what we’re doing, and we appreciate your trust.”

“And I’ll appreciate being informed as soon as your fleet is back on station. Saresh out.”

I tried not to laugh as the Chancellor stormed out of range before the holo shut down. I didn’t like Saresh, and I certainly didn’t trust her. The woman was a micromanager, and I had no clue how Satele and Jace managed to handle that without killing her. Fortunately for me, I was too far down the food chain to worry about her getting directly involved in my business.

“So ignoring the boss runs in the family,” I said, “nice to know I come by it honestly.”

Aryelle had walked up just as Saresh stormed off, and I watched her eyes narrow as the com shut down.

“I never liked that woman,” I thought I heard her mutter.

It was obvious _Satele_ heard her, but chose to ignore it.

“Seems we’re back to towing the line,” I said to Aryelle then smiled slightly, “for a little while at least.”

She grinned back at me and replied, “Back to running around a galaxy with too many fires and not enough people to put them out.”

Satele smiled herself, and it was one of the few times I could see the family resemblance.

Lana, who’d been hovering around the edges of the command post while the Grand Master spoke to Saresh, walked over and said, “Our troops are preparing for launch.”

“I’ll see that ours are prepared to do the same,” Satele replied as she gave the three of us a nod then walked off.

Lana waited until the Grand Master was out of earshot before she said: “It’s unfortunate that the circumstances will be rather different the next time we meet.”

“No offense, Lana,” I told her, trying to sound sincere (and failing), “but I’m hoping you’ll never see me again.”

_I intend to keep an eye on you, however._

She laughed, taking what I said as a challenge. “And I’ll hope I do,” she stopped for a moment and then said more sincerely, “It feels good that we can put aside our differences to achieve something this great. Maybe it bodes well for the future.”

“I hope so. It’d be nice to have peace for a change,” Aryelle said to her. “Be well, Lana, and may the Force be with you.”

The Sith gave her a half bow and replied, “May the Force ever serve you, Aryelle.” The then turned to me and said “Be well to yourself, Theron.”

That took me by surprise, but I couldn’t think of anything to say so I just nodded. My lack of response didn’t seem to faze Lana in the least as she smiled and walked away.

“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about,” Aryelle said as soon as Lana was gone.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

I was about to walk over to her, wanting to take advantage of our relative privacy for a few moments when a tone sounded in my ear. I sighed, knowing exactly who it was.

“Accept incoming,” I murmured and then said slightly louder, “Director?”

“Can’t you stay out of trouble, Theron?”

I felt Aryelle watch me curiously as I replied, “It’s not like I expected to find a conspiracy when I took on the Korriban op, sir, but I think we’re pretty lucky I did.” It wasn’t hard to imagine my former boss rubbing his temples. He probably would have fired me a long time ago if I wasn’t so good at my job.

“Consider this notice that you’ve been reinstated, Agent Shan,” he said more formally, “I want you aboard _Dauntless_  in an hour for a brief on your next assignment.”

I managed to hold off an annoyed groan, as I looked at Aryelle. She’d edged away from the table to give me some privacy, and the last thing I wanted to do was end up on Satele’s flagship at the moment.

“I was going to put in for some vacation time after this, sir.”

“Denied. I need you at this conference, Theron, since it looks like we’re going to have to put together a long term taskforce with the Jedi and the Military to deal with the Emperor.”

“All right, I’ll be there. Disconnect.”

There was a quiet click as the com shut down and I felt Aryelle looking at me.

“Back on the clock?” she asked.

“Back on the clock,” I said, “I need to get up to _Dauntless_ , but if we can talk later?”

“Of course,” she told me, “I’ll find you when you’re done.”

* * *

 

‘Done’ turned out to be early evening. Stuck in a room with Satele, with Jace and the Director on the holo, was not my idea of fun. Neither was the idea I’d be stuck behind a desk running a taskforce rather than being out in the field where I’d do the most good. The only thing that made the idea bearable was the fact that Aryelle would be attached to the taskforce too.

When I got back down to Yavin, I didn’t go looking for her immediately. Instead I went to run diagnostics on the shuttle. Not that the thing needed it, since the fleet engineers had already checked just after we landed last night. Honestly, I needed something to do with my hands, though.

It wasn’t like I was avoiding Aryelle, but seeing Jace and Satele made me wonder if I could do any better than they did. I know my strengths and weaknesses, and personal relationships are definitely in the weakness column. Normally that wouldn’t bother me. But now I had someone to lose if I screwed up, and that scared the hell out of me.

Yeah, I was scared, but I wasn’t going to back down either. Aryelle Thrace was probably the best thing to ever happen to me. This was the first time I’d even considered life beyond the job a good thing. That I might have someone to come back to.

_I want this!_

But it wasn’t just me, and I wasn’t stupid enough to presume I knew the way _Aryelle_ was thinking about all this. About us.

I didn’t need the footsteps to know she was walking up behind me. I just knew.

_Time to face this, Theron._

I turned and I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Aryelle. She was wearing that sleeveless black tunic she’d worn on Rishi now. It was hard not to stare, and I was almost positive she’d changed just to get a reaction. If she had, she was doing a great job.

_Damn, she’s beautiful._

“Hell of a ride,” I said, deciding not to give her the satisfaction of a response. Or at least an overt one. “Revan’s down, the conspiracy’s over, and not only does the SIS want me back, I got promoted.” I couldn’t stop myself from grimacing as I remembered _that_ conversation.

“So what’s wrong?” she asked, looking concerned.

“Just looks like I’m going to be a desk pilot for a while.”

“They won’t keep you out of the field for long, Theron,” she said, “I know the Director isn’t stupid enough to keep you locked up in some office. You’re too good at what you do.”

When I thought about the last time I’d been locked up and how it all turned out, I had to grin. She was right.

She gave me a curious look, but seemed to decide it was better not to ask.

Time to change topics before she changed her mind.

“I’ve been wondering about something,” I said. “Through all this, you’ve been a spy, a saboteur, a fake pirate…

“And a cannibal,” she added, “don’t forget a cannibal.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Okay, and a _fake_ cannibal. But what I’m getting at is that this is advance tradecraft, Aryelle.”

“And you want to know how I managed,” she asked me with a grin.

“Yeah, but I’m willing to chalk it up to you just being good at everything.”

I watched her flush at the complement, but there was something else in her eyes. I watched them darken and her voice was soft and intense when she finally spoke:

“I just had the right partner, and, to be honest, I’d like to see that partnership continue. Maybe even become something more.”

She reached out, tracing the implant near my left eye, and suddenly there wasn’t enough air on the blasted _planet_.

“I want you, Theron,” she whispered, “I just didn’t know how to ask until now.”

I felt her fingers trail down to the back of my neck, as she pulled me in for a kiss. This was everything I wanted, so when we broke for air it was hard not to just dive back in. But I needed to know some things, and, more importantly, I needed Aryelle to understand some things.

“Well, you don’t seem to have a problem with asking anymore,” I said to her when I could breathe again, “But have you ever even?” I couldn’t think of a way to say it without sounding crass or… pretentious.

The look she gave me was pretty simple to read: _Don’t be an idiot, Theron._

“No, I’ve never had sex before,” she told me, “but that doesn’t change things. For me anyway.”

I reached out, tracing her cheek with my thumb, “I want you too, but I need you to promise me something.”

“Name it.”

“Promise me that if at any point you feel uncomfortable, or want to stop, you’ll tell me, okay?”

She took my hands in hers and replied, “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

“I’m serious, Aryelle,” I said, catching her eyes with mine, “I’ve never felt this much for anyone before, and I don’t want to mess it up."

This time I couldn’t read the look she gave me, not completely. But the softness around her eyes told me she understood. “I promise.”

“Then why don’t we get out of here?”

* * *

 

I’d shared a tent with three grunts from _Dauntless’_  combat contingent, but they were back upstairs so I had the place to myself. Which was a good thing when I thought about it, because as comfortable as Aryelle’s quarters aboard _Shrike_ might be, it was a _really_ small ship.  Maybe a tent wasn’t much better in terms of privacy, but most of the camp had already transferred back to their stations, and I could seal the flaps easy enough.

Ary slipped into the tent in front of me and stood in the center looking around curiously before removing the half gauntlets she wore. Once I was sure the tent flaps were secure, I followed her lead, tossing my jacket and gloves onto one of the unoccupied cots. The gun belt and bracers got a little bit more delicate treatment as I set them aside.

The tent had climate control, but I was still feeling too damned warm, so I started to pull off my shirt. I had it half way off when I heard a gasp. I turned around, tossing the shirt into the pile and found Aryelle staring at me, eyes wide and roaming over me as if she weren’t sure where to look first.

“Oh… I… uhm… wow,” she said as she flushed a dark pink.

I knew I was smirking but I couldn’t really help it. I’d never got _that_ kind of reaction before.

“Wow, huh?”

She tried to give me a dirty look, but her eyes were too wide and too heated. Instead she reached out slowly, like she was afraid I was going to disappear, and pressed her hand over my heart.

“We’ll take it slow,” I told her quietly as I covered her hand with my own. “In fact, I think I like this plan. Gives me a chance to be thorough.”

Now it was my turn to reach out, tracing the curve of her breast, down along her hip to the small of her back. Even through the fabric, I could feel her warmth. I said we’d take it slow, and I meant it, but it was probably stupid of me to think it’d be easy. Especially hearing the noises she made as I touched her.

I felt her hand slip out from under mine, soft fingertips trailing down my stomach. I caught her before she could get anywhere, and brought her hand to my lips as I whispered, “Thorough, remember?”

Letting go, I reached up to undo the tie that held her hair back. Then slowly, so she could stop me, I started to undo the fastenings on her tunic.

I’d managed to get one undone when she grabbed my hands and pulled them away. I went still, ready to step back, and wondering where I’d crossed the line.

“Theron,” Aryelle growled at me, her eyes dark, “there’s slow, there’s thorough, and there’s _too_ slow!”

She let go of my hands and stripped off the tunic along with the bra underneath, and this time it was my turn to be speechless. Or maybe not _completely_ speechless.

“Damn, you’re beautiful,” I blurted out as I tried to keep myself from staring. She flushed again, and smiled.

“You can go back to being thorough now,” she told me, her voice breathy.

I slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her close, loving the feel of her skin on mine.

“I can, huh?” I whispered in her ear. “You mean like this?” I stroked my fingers down her spine as she moaned and arched into me.

I kissed her as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I only vaguely remember how the rest of our clothing ended up on the floor, but that didn’t matter much. What I do remember is feeling intensely grateful that this amazing woman wanted me as I laid her down on my cot.

My fingers traced up her inner thigh as I nuzzled her neck, listening to the sounds she made. I felt one of her hands stroking my back as the other brushed down my stomach. I didn’t try to stop her this time, growling as her fingers curled around me. Slow, careful, and making me absolutely crazy.

“Ah,” I gasped, “please… Don’t stop.”

Aryelle took that as encouragement, and her touch was more sure, but still slow, still crazy making.

_Time to return the favor._

I slid one finger inside her, then another as she ground against my palm. I kissed her again with everything I had as we teased each other.

Finally, I had to break away so I could keep some kind of control. She whimpered as she looked up at me with those amazing brown eyes.

“Just trying to be thorough,” I told her as I kissed down her neck, following her shoulder then moving to her breast. I took a nipple gently between my lips and began to suck as she cried out.

“Theron… please. So good. So _very_ good,” she moaned as I kept working. Then I moved to the other breast, giving it a similar treatment. I felt her muscles wind tight, and my own control was slipping.

“I want you, Aryelle,” I whispered against her skin, “please.”

Her answer was to guide me inside her, and as I slid in deep she cried out, arching up into me as she came.

_Control, dammit! Just a bit longer._

We were so tangled up in each other. Moving in synch, hand and mouths exploring, and I felt her tense one last time as she shattered. I couldn’t hold out against that, so I let the rush take me. Nothing else mattered. Nothing outside this tent. Nothing outside this bed. Nothing but Aryelle Thrace, the woman I… cared for.

When I finally came down from the high, I opened my eyes to find her looking up at me, eyes bright.

“You okay?” I asked.

She gave a breathy laugh. “Okay? He asked if I’m ‘okay’ after… I don’t think there’s a word in Basic to describe how good I feel right now, but I _guess_ okay works.”

“Right, stupid phrasing.” I said as we shifted position so I was curled against her back, arms wrapped around her waist again.

“I was right, though,” I told her.

“Right about what?”

“You’re good at everything.”

That got another laugh, and she rolled over to look me in the eyes, “I still say it was having the right partner.”

It was my turn to flush. “We’ll call it a little of both.”

“Do you mind if I stay the night?” she asked with a yawn. “I’m not sure I could get back to the shuttle.”

“You’re always welcome, Aryelle.”

She simply smiled at me as she curled up, and was asleep in moments.

I stayed awake for a bit, listening to her breath, feeling insanely lucky and grateful, and wondering what I’d done to deserve her.

* * *

 

_Aryelle Thrace_

As amazing as last night had been, laying here, now, my head on Theron’s chest, listening to his heartbeat was just as wonderful in its own way. He’d always had the underlying sense of being poised, ready to explode into action as needs be. Feeling him at peace like this was a rare joy.

Outside the tent, what was left of the camp was awake and going about their business. I was content to lay here, and savor the peace I’d found.

But Fate seemed to have other ideas, as I felt the presence of my former Padawan coming straight toward us. Which meant…

“Huh?” Theron muttered as I nudged him awake.

“Kira will be here in a moment,” I said, sitting up reaching for my clothing.

Before he could reply, we heard:

“Hey, Theron! You awake?”

He made a quiet, unhappy groan, “I am now, Kira, thanks.”

“Sorry,” she said, “But the Grand Master wants to talk to you.”

“Did she say why?” Theron asked carefully, but his eyes began to burn. I touched his shoulder and he calmed. We both knew that the Grand Master wouldn’t send a messenger if she intended to dress us down for our ‘indiscretion’.

“Nope, just she wants to talk to you, me and Master Aryelle,” she stopped for a moment, “speaking of which, you know where she is? I couldn’t find her this morning.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased at Kira’s attempt to be discreet or annoyed at the laughter I felt radiating from her.

“I’m here, Kira.”

“Okay, then the two of you should, er, finish up whatever and get over to the conference table.”

I waited until I felt her leave, then pulled on the rest of my clothing. I stood and stretched as Theron managed to pull himself out of bed. We were both still tired, but it was a good kind of tired. Though I could feel the grumpiness of having to meet with Master Satele threading through his other emotions.

He finished dressing quickly and held out his hand to me.

“Time to go see what’s next for the best in the Republic.”

* * *

 

_Theron Shan_

Didn’t take us long to meet up with the Grand Master. I’d rather have stayed in bed the rest of the day, considering the company, but duty called. Even if this meeting had the potential to be one of the most awkward in history.

Kira was waiting for us, as were Jakarro and D4.

“Hope these ‘new opportunities’ of yours go better than the Manaan job, guys,” I heard Kira say.

“Jakarro, you guys leaving?” I asked as Aryelle and I walked up. I’d let go of her hand before we got to the command post, but I didn’t like it. It felt off not to be holding her hand, but discretion and all that…

You know what I mean.

“We made some contacts on Rishi,” D4 said, “who have decided they’re in need of our services in exchange for some rather lucrative fees. Nothing you need to be concerned about.”

“So you’re not hanging around to help kick out the last of the Revanites or the Emperor’s people?’ Aryelle asked.

“The great Jakarro does not do clean up,” growled the Wookie.

“Besides the Republic wasn’t paying enough,” D4 added.

“So it’s just us and the Imps,” Kira said, “Here’s hoping that everybody here remembers who they’re supposed to be shooting at.”

“I have faith that Marr chose those who understood the seriousness of their task,” Satele said as she walked over to us, “as did I.”

“Here’s hoping,” I heard Kira repeat under her breath.

“While we will not be staying as part of the Republic forces, Jakarro and I have sincerely enjoyed our time together, and would gladly provide our services at any time.”

“The droid babbles but speaks true,” Jakarro added, “this has been fun.”

Not how I’d put it, but I make it a policy not to argue with Wookies.

I went to stand by Satele, and she looked at me. I didn’t say a word, but I knew what she was thinking, so I shifted my stance slightly. I wasn’t going to start anything, but I wanted to make it clear that I’d finish it if she decided to stick her two credits in.

She sighed, getting the message, then turned to Aryelle.

“I have spoken with the Council, Master Aryelle,” she said formally, “and we have decided to name you Battlemaster of the Order.”

I watched Aryelle’s face and her eyes flashed for a moment. I knew this was just going to add to the anxiety she had. Hell, so did Satele, but the Grand Master was also right in the fact we needed Aryelle Thrace.

“Thank you for the honor, Master Satele, but I’ve never heard of the title before.”

“Both on Corellia and here at Yavin, you’ve demonstrated your leadership skills, tactical ability, and strategic insight. As Battlemaster, you will help guide the Council during this dark time, and train our most promising students in the arts of the Jedi Knight. But most importantly, you will lead the charge against the Sith Emperor and those who choose to follow him.”

“Remember that promotion I mentioned,” I said at last, and Aryelle nodded, “seems I’m Agent in Charge of the joint taskforce the SIS, the military and the Order are putting together.”

“And let me guess, I’m there as the resident expert on the Emperor,” Aryelle replied.

“Yes,” Satele told her, “along with myself and Master Gnost-Dural. But you will also be the Order’s active agent.”

“Agreed. We need you out there, doing what you do best, Aryelle, not locked up in some office,” I said with a half-smile.

She smiled back, and replied, “Plus we’re still at war with the Empire, which means there’s going to be a lot for _all_ of us to do.”

We looked at each other for a moment and I nodded, getting the message.

This was what was next for us, and for the first time in a long time I knew I wouldn’t be alone.

And I was damned grateful for it.

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always intended to gift this to Sagefic, because if it hadn't been for comments made in "For When You Wake Up" I never would have been inspired to write the series.
> 
> Surprise, Sage!


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